The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, has stated a strong desire by his government to prioritise the development of sports at the grassroots.

Earlier this year in February, when he delivered his major policy address to the nation, Dr. Bawumia revealed a novelty idea to establish what he called the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, a vehicle he said would be used by his government to drive sustainable grassroot sports development, starting at the school level, to promote sports and education.

This vision has now been enshrined in the NPP Manifesto, as the Vice President highlighted it in his address, and expects to implement it when voted into office.

As part of his broad vision for sports, Dr. Bawumia announced that his government "will establish the Ghana School Sports Secretariat, which will be an agency under the ministry responsible for sports, in collaboration with other stakeholders such as the Ghana Education Service (GES) and sports federations."

With funding for school sports being a challenge over the years, the establishment of the school sports Secretariat, as an agency under the ministry responsible for sports, and as a brainchild of the President himself, is expected to provide annual budgetary allocations to ensure sustainable development.

The Bawumia also reiterated his quest to partner international sports bodies, to make Ghana a hub for emerging or alien sports in Africa.

"My government will also seek school-level collaboration with international sports bodies like the NBA and NFL to make Ghana a hub for these emerging sports in Africa, to create more opportunities for young people."

"We have already tried this with the NFL, the governing body for American Football League."